Editor's Note: The following speech was delivered to the Venezuelan people by President Chavez yesterday in the run-up to the all-important vote on the referendum to end term limits 2 days from now. Ven Global News provided a rough translation of Chavez' speech into English. We have revised that translation to reflect his message with clarity in our native tongue. Please note Chavez' colorful and powerful use of idioms, philosophy, religion and even alchemy to teach, explain and inspire. His versatility with language knows no bounds.

In this speech he begins with references to his grandmother, Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount and Rosa Luxemburg. He delivers a powerful blow to the opposition who have accused the Bolivarians of the recent attack on the synagogue which has since proven to be an inside job, carried out by the opposition. He ended his address with a passionate call for Venezuelans to Vote SI! on Sunday, February 15 for the constitutional amendment ending term limits. (don't miss the photos of the celebration of the victory of La Victoria below - referenced in President Chavez' speech)

- Les Blough in La Victoria, Venezuela

(Translated by Bolivarian News Agency and revised by Axis of Logic)

My spirit was always conquered by the whipping and powerful words of Jesus, the Redeemer Christ for the oppressed peoples, since the time I was an altar boy in the humble church of Sabaneta, when the stormy decade of the 60s began in the last century.
 
Since then, the Sermon on the Mount and the justice it promised for the poor people seemed very exciting to me.
 
Mama Rosa used to describe “two thousand years and more”, as a future time in which humanity definitely takes the path appointed by Christ – living among people as equals and as brothers - or on the contrary, “the world will end.”
 
How far was Rosa Inés Chávez from the speech and thesis of another Rosa, who Clara Zetkin called “the living sword of the revolution,” Rosa of Luxembourg^[1].

But at the same time, how close was my old Mama to the thoughts of that revolutionary woman, masterly condensed to the legendary slogan, Socialism or barbarism! Christ expelled the merchants from the Temple and naked with his holy word, he described the hypocrite Pharisees “who clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.”
 
It occurred once again with these Venezuelan opposition leaders regarding the recent reprehensible act of profaning the synagogue (in Caracas).
 
Together with a set of media companies, they (opposition) definitely lost their own nature to be transformed into political-party actors; who once again irreversibly accused the government and the revolution as being responsible for this criminal act.
 
One of them brushed the limits of the philosophical stone^[2] and was about to find out that the so wanted formula for the warm water^[3] left no doubt in his mind about who was responsible for the [synagogue] attack when he explained to the country because he has found "conclusive evidence" : the red color of the graffiti on the wall; the same color of the Bolivarian people! The opposition grapeshot^[4] , inside and outside the country, didn’t stop the media bombing of the revolution.

But, as the slogan says: “God never abandons the innocent.” In addition, the revolutionary government and its investigation corps acted fast and with great efficiency, in the middle of a media war. 
 
And now, when we have captured eleven people and the main ones, responsible for the crime, declared themselves guilty; and when we have found several evidences of internal complicity in the crime scene during the raids, and one of the Synagogue’s watchmen has been proven guilty; these “leaders” and “defenders of freedom,” “brave protectors of the temple,” start to perform miracles and repeat etceteras, trying to explain their allegations. Finally, they are able to say nothing - but they are unable to retract their false accusations.
 
Hypocrite Pharisees! I have here on my desk several reports of the situational room coordinated by Reyes Reyes. When I was checking the details, I realized how the Double Armored Attack of the Revolution has been progressing, in the home stretch towards the February 15. 
 
Through my lines I want to congratulate this tremendous elite troop organized by the patrols and the committees for the SI!; its leaders and coordinators, patrol and mission members. I especially want to mention the very brave Bolivarian women, or like many of them prefer to be called, "Mujeres Chavistas!" (Chavista women). The formidable youth is playing its vanguard role of sublime nerve engine of the popular mass that must keep on moving with the energy of a hurricane.
 
Our party, the PSUV, as well as other ally parties, PCV, PPT, MEP, UPV - we all must march united and try twice as hard towards the victory.
 
By the way, today is February 12th and the battle cry of the great revolutionary, José Félix Rivas^[5]. , the young Jacobin man with the republican cap, still keeps thundering from the valley where that heroic city of La Victoria (Aragua state) emerges: “We cannot choose between winning or dying, it’s necessary to win.”
 
Boys and girls, let’s celebrate this Day of the Youth as it has to be, deployed in battle, adjusting the machinery, convincing the indecisive people, inviting everybody to this memorable journey.
 
Just to keep on conquering for independence! To keep on building the socialist homeland! To keep on transforming Venezuela in a powerful country! Today is Thursday 12. There are just two days left.
 
Let’s go for broke, with happiness, with joy, with a lot of intelligence, with so much homeland passion.
 
On Sunday 15, early in the morning, you men, you women, you Venezuelan youth, you, together with me, have a date with the future.
 
I call you from my Heart, as the song says: "Yo te esperaré en aquel lugar" (I’ll wait for you in that place).
 
Don’t fail me and I won’t fail you…
                                       
You know that I, your soldier, live for you!
 
Yes Sir! We will win!
 
Hugo Chávez Frías / February 10, 2009

REFERENCES

President Chavez refers to Rosa Luxemburg and makes alchemist references to the philosopher's stone and warm water when criticizing the opposition's attack on the the Caracas synagogue:

1. Rosa Luxemburg (1871 -1919) was a Jewish, Polish-born, German Marxist theorist, socialist philosopher, and revolutionary for the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, the German SPD, the Independent Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party of Germany.
   
   
2. The philosopher's stone is a legendary substance, allegedly capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold. It was sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For a long time, it was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. In the view of spiritual alchemy, making the philosopher's stone would bring enlightenment upon the maker and conclude the Great Work. It is also known by several other names, such as 'materia prima.'
   
   
3. Avicenna (warm water): "In order to obtain the red and the white Elixir, the two bodies must be united. For though gold is the most fixed and perfect of the metals, yet if it be dissolved into its smallest parts, it becomes spiritual and volatile, like quicksilver, and that because of its heat. This tincture, which is without number, is called the hot male seed. But if silver be dissolved in warm water, it remains fixed as before, and has little or no tincture, yet it readily receives the tincture in a temperament of hot and cold, and is called the cold, dry, female seed. Gold or silver by themselves are not easily fusible, but a mixture of the two melts readily, as is well known to goldsmiths. Hence if our Stone did not contain both gold and silver, it would not be liquid, and would yield no medicine through any magistery, nor tincture, for if it yielded tincture it would still have no tinging power."
   
   
4. Grapeshot: A cluster of small cast-iron balls formerly used as a charge for a cannon.
   
   
5. In his address above, President Chavez quotes José Félix Rivas, every year here, in La Victoria ("the victory"), a city of 160,000 one hour west of Caracas. Ribas led his young soldiers, many with little training, to victory over the Spanish in the battle of La Victoria.

   José Félix Rivas (1775-1815)

   The José Félix Rivas Municipality is named to honor him and here in La Victoria, his name can be seen in public places everywhere. Ribas was a Venezuelan independence leader and hero of the Venezuelan War of Independence against the Spanish occupation. After receiving a quality education in Caracas, at the age of 21 he married María Josefa Palacios, the aunt of Simón Bolívar. He soon became interested in Republican ideals and sympathetic to the revolutionary independence movement. After a period of imprisonment in 1810, Ribas traveled throughout the Caracas, encouraging people to join the demonstrations against Spanish rule. Ribas joined the interim government and took charge of the municipality of Caracas. Ribas did not have any military background but was named Colonel of the Barlovento Battalion which he helped set up with his own funds. During the Second Republic under Simón Bolívar, Ribas fought in numerous battles of the "Campaña Admirable". But the most critical was the battle of La Victoria (12 February 1814). In the battle of La Victoria, Ribas and his comrades drove back the advance of the formidable Royalist (Spanish-supporting) forces under Jose Tomas Boves. After Boves was wounded in battle, Ribas took command of the forces. Ribas won this victory with inexperienced troops, mainly youths, students, and seminary candidates, recruited by Ribas. In his speech, Chavez refers to Ribas' famous charge to his troops, just before a critical battle: "No podemos optar entre vencer o morir, es necesario vencer" ("We have no choice between victory and death, we must achieve victory"). It is in honor of the battle of La Victoria that modern Venezuelan citizens now celebrate the "Día de la Juventud" ("Day of Youth") every year on February 12. Here in La Victoria we have been celebrating the Day of Youth for the past week with festivals, marching bands, upbeat traditional music and dances and speeches in Plaza de Ribas.

The following fiesta on the celebration of the "La Victoria" honors José Félix Rivas every year on February 12, the anniversary of the defeat of the Spanish in the City of La Victoria. Traditional food, drinks, dances, mock fighting and speeches are featured and enjoyed by about 2000 people.

(all photos by Axis of Logic)

SI! In Ribas! UH! AH! With  Chavez Amendment SI! Go!